Change
by vands88
Summary: A scene between House and Cameron set sometime in S4. "All change is bad. Not true you know."


**Title:** Change  
**Rating:** PG-13 (naughty language)  
**Characters/Pairings:** House/Cameron. Also Cameron/Chase, and House/Wilson if you squint.  
**Genre:** General/Friendship/Humour/Romance  
**Word Count:** 940  
**Summary:** Set sometime in S4. "All change is bad. Not true you know."  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'House MD' or any of the characters in this fic, just playing in the sandpit  
**A/N:** Unbeta'd - all mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

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House hates how Wilson and Cameron both have the annoying ability of reading his mind. Wilson tends to be more forward about what his best friend is thinking, in the form of long speeches and endless psychoanalysing. Cameron, however, is much more subtle, and has a habit of saying the right word or two at exactly the right time. He doesn't know which is more annoying. At least he can tell when Wilson's about to deliver a speech whereas Cameron tends to spring out of nowhere with her Freudian theories, puppy-dog eyes and heartfelt words.

He knows Wilson likes to think he's scared of change. But the thing Wilson doesn't realise is that he's not scared of change, he just doesn't see the point in it. If something's fine as it is, why change it? It's perfectly logical, he tells himself.

Cameron told House that not all change is bad. And looking back on it, he can't help but think how stupid that statement is. Of course it's true. If things didn't change - if _people_ didn't change - then we'd all be stuck as cavemen, gaping with rotting teeth and smelly breath at the hot young cavegirl from the other tribe and contemplating who or what we need to kill and wave in front of her so she will show us her boobies. Bit like 5th grade, he thinks. Somehow he knows that's not what Cameron meant, and he figures she wasn't talking about his old carpet either, she was talking about _him._

"You've been staring at those fries for ten minutes. They really that interesting?"

House looks up from his meal to see the new blonde Cameron smirking at him by the cafeteria table which he occupies.

"Are you stalking me, Dr.Cameron?" He smirks back, watching her as she slides into the seat in front of him.

"If you have to know, I got cornered by Dr.Gates as I was coming to get a coffee. Staring at you staring at your fries was marginally more interesting than listening to him talk." She says with a laugh.

House visibly shudders at the mention of the doctor renowned for the most boring chit-chat this side of the Atlantic. "I'm surprised a nice, sociable girl like you got out of that one alive."

"Ah well, I lied and said I had to get back to my patient. If anyone asks, your name is David and you have mild concussion and a broken leg."

"Got it. What are you still doing at the hospital anyway?" House asks, glancing up at the clock above the door that boasted that it was past nine in the evening.

"Umm…just doing some paperwork."

"You're an awful liar Cameron, it's a miracle Dr.Gates believed your bullshit. Either that man is as gullible as Chase or…" House trails off, studying the guilty look on Cameron's face for a moment before coming to his conclusion, "It's Chase. You don't want to go home, do you?"

Her eyes snap up to meet his, and he supposes that maybe he can read her as well as she can him.

"I, umm, we're not…" She sighs in frustration, running her fingers through her hair.

He raises a single eyebrow questioningly and she takes several deep breaths and sips at her coffee before continuing. "We're just going though a bit of a rough time, okay? It's no biggie." She shrugs it off, although her eyes betray her.

"Stop being so sensitive and chuck him already." House suggests unhelpfully, poking at his fries some more.

"See, that is why people don't tell you about their private lives. God knows why Wilson's still your friend; you treat him like crap…"_You treat __**me**__ like crap_, she resists from adding.

"I know." He says in a rare moment of honesty, again deciding to focus on his fries as if hoping to avoid the seriousness of the conversation.

Silence passes between them, and it's neither awkward or comfortable…just silence.

"Thirteen makes the worst coffee I've ever tasted." House says after a minute, hoping to move onto the lighter topic of his new fellows. It is only a second later when he realises he inadvertently complimented Cameron, and the smile on her face tells him that she did read between the lines. Damn.

"She's a good doctor." Cameron replies, finishing off her coffee.

"Yeah, she is. They're all good. Different…but good." House mentally slaps himself for how retarded that sentence sounded. He misses his old "ducklings"; he misses her, but he'll be damned if he ever admits to it.

"Not all change is bad." She says with a smile, and he almost smirks back at how appropriate her words are, but catches himself in time and instead gives her an acknowledging nod.

"I'd better go…I think Chase and I need to talk." Cameron says after a moment, rising from the table and throwing her coffee cup in the nearest bin.

"Allison!" He calls after her, and he can't decide who is more shocked at the use of her first name as she turns around to face him. He shakes his head a little to clear the confusion before speaking with as much compassion as he can handle, "If you need…anything, somewhere to stay or… anything. I'm here."

He swallows his anxiety as he watches her eyes change from shock to thankfulness to something all together unidentifiable.

"Thank you." She says, and his heart feels immediately lighter at the sincerity in her voice.

House lowers his head in recognition of her thanks, and listens as her footfalls fade into the distance.

_All change is bad. Not true you know._

_ ---_

Comments make me happy!_  
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